Gooseberry Chutney / Small Amla / Harfi Chutney

Amla is probably the most popular berry. Everyone knows how good this berry is for hair, it helps in hair growth, helps in reducing grey hair and dandruff. The Amla has a super tangy  or sour taste. 

I am extremely fond of these Gooseberries. As a kid, i remember the vendor outside the school selling them, he would sell them in these newspaper cones. Just before handing them over, he would sprinkle some salt and chilly powder and that would make my day. Would eat them one by one, looking for more slat as i walked to the bus stop. i can feel the taste while i type this up, such is the power of food! Food memories will stay with you as long as you live! 

This recipe is a quick chutney that can be served with steamed rice or if you with any type of paratha. Because the natural taste of the Gooseberry is sour we will use generous amounts of sesame to balance out the taste. The Amla pickle which is the widely popular is made out of the bigger size berries which stays for almost a year. This chutney will stay fresh for about 10 days if refrigerated. 





What do you need to make the Gooseberry Chutney? 

• Small Gooseberry 
• Sesame 
• Green chillies 
• Fresh Coriander 
• Oil
• Salt 

How do you make the Gooseberry Chutney?

Step 1: Dry fry the sesame seeds and grind it. keep the powder aside. I usually have a jar full of the sesame powder ready to use for most of our dishes, curries. We love the powder! :) 

Note: I did not use up so much quantity for the chutney, I just used the chance to top up my Sesame Powder jar. :)


Step 2: Wash and dry the little gooseberry, this is the hero of our dish but because it is sour in nature and only some people can take that taste well, we will add some magic to balance it; Let us see what the Magic is. Add oil in a pan and fry the berries till they become soft. 

Step 2: Once the Amla/ Gooseberries cool down we will squeeze the seeds out of them. 

Step 3: In the same pan fry some fenugreek seeds, green chillies and a couple of red chillies; Add the fresh chopped coriander and fry for just a bit. 

Step 4 : Because the other spices have already fried, we do not need to wait longer. Grind this with the sesame powder and salt and the deseeded Gooseberry. Serve it with some steamed rice and generous amounts of ghee. 

If you like unique chutneys like this, please do look at this:





Onion Chutney:  This amazingly sweet and spicy Onion chutney is best served with stuffed paratha. The taste of the slow cooked onion is so yummy that you will become a fan of this chutney. Get the recipe HERE. 

Fresh Coconut Chutney: This is unique blend of fresh coconut and the special crunchy tadka. The spice from the red chillies and the sweetness of the coconut blend so amazingly that it is a perfect match. The addition of other simple spices is to give our chutney a nice crunchy feel. This is one chutney you can make in less than 15 minutes, this can be your one extra thing on the menu with very little effort. It is everything you want in a chutney. Tangy, Spicy, sweet and crunchy! Get the recipe HERE.